Splinters are nagging. They are so tiny yet they cause so much pain. The worst ones are the ones that get stuck under the skin. You can’t reach them without pulling back layers of skin, which is a painful process in and of itself. After a while, you forget about them, but they hurt whenever pressure is applied to a certain area around them.

We also have splinters in life. They are those negative moments that our memory can’t erase. Those sour memories forever shape the course of our lives until we fully heal from them. A couple of my personal splinters include:

1. When I was rejected by the first girl I asked to be my girlfriend in 5th grade. This single event shaped how I related to girls for the next ten years. I didn’t trust the women I liked and as a result ended up hurting them.

2. The time I got thrown out at home plate during the little league all stars semi-finals game to conclude the final inning. This moment made me a more cautious player in all sports, which ultimately hurt my baseball, basketball, and soccer performance.

3. And more…

Fortunately, I have many moments to be proud of like:
• Hitting .800 in the same baseball tournament mentioned above
• The castle I built in 7th grade
• Making the math Olympics team in 6th grade
• Earning the Math and Citizenship Awards at high school graduation
• Leading the 2003 UCLA High School Conference
• My UCLA African Grad speech in 2003
• And more…

Despite the successes that I remember and people remember me for, I must still dig out the many splinters that I have accumulated that are still shaping my decisions today. I don’t want to hurt anymore more women. I want to trust and love my mom, my future wife, and my female friends. I don’t want to look over my shoulder in the game of baseball, basketball, or life. I want to take educated risk; only risk yield large rewards.

What are your splinters and how are they affecting your today?

Live purposefully!

Inspired by Miguel